Anecdotes about the Virgin Mary

"San Juan de los Lagos: the girl of the acrobats"

San Juan de los Lagos (Mexico) (1623)

In the town of San Juan de los Lagos, Jalisco, a small Marian image made of cornstalk is venerated. It is now one of Mexico's major pilgrimage sites, affectionately known as "La Cihualpilli" or simply "San Juanita." Its sanctuary receives multitudes of faithful from all over the country each year.

Pious tradition places the founding miracle around 1623. It tells of a family of traveling entertainers, acrobats, and street performers who journeyed from town to town and arrived in San Juan de los Lagos. During a dangerous act, one of the girls fell onto daggers or knives stuck in the ground and died instantly. Devastated, the parents recalled the fame of a small image of the Virgin Mary kept in the local chapel.

According to the story, an elderly Indian woman who cared for the image carried it to the girl's body; after prayer, the child was resurrected. The news spread, and devotion to the "Little Virgin of San Juan" grew strong, attracting pilgrims and multiplying accounts of favors granted.

It is important to distinguish between the traditional account and documented ecclesiastical events. The resurrection of the girl of the acrobats belongs to a pious tradition that has accumulated over time; the specific details vary according to the versions and are not found in strictly contemporary documentation. What is well documented is the establishment and growth of the cult, the construction of the large sanctuary, and the Church's recognition of the devotion, which is now one of the most popular in Mexico. There is no evidence of a specific original link to the Rosary.